Module Interface Sealing Against Corrosive Gas Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power modules are prone to corrosion from corrosive gases like hydrogen sulfide, leading to reliability issues and potential failure, especially in harsh environments such as the rubber industry and mining applications.
Innovation Solution
A gas-flow inhibiting sealing is applied at the module interface between the module and the mounting base, using elastomeric materials with sacrificial particles to prevent the ingress of corrosive gases, ensuring a gas-tight connection and protecting electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no sealing is provided at the module interface, then the manufacturing process is simple and easy, but corrosive gases can penetrate into the module and cause corrosion of electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing element made of elastomeric material is introduced as an intermediary component between the module housing and mounting base. This sealing element includes sacrificial particles that preferentially react with corrosive gases, serving as a mediator that protects the electronic components from corrosion while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is constructed as a composite material system, combining elastomeric base material with embedded sacrificial particles. This composite structure provides both the sealing function to prevent gas penetration and the chemical protection function through the sacrificial particles that react with corrosive gases before they can reach the electronics.
2Reliability
If a gas-tight sealing is implemented at the module interface, then corrosive gases are prevented from reaching electronic components, but the manufacturing effort and material requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric sealing element acts as an intermediary barrier that is relatively easy to integrate into the module assembly. The sealing element can be positioned in a groove or channel at the module interface, requiring minimal additional manufacturing steps compared to more complex sealing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is made from elastomeric material that can be formed as a flexible gasket or ring. This flexible sealing component can accommodate minor variations in manufacturing tolerances and can be easily installed by compression or deformation, reducing the complexity of the manufacturing process while ensuring gas-tight sealing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sealing significantly improves the electric and mechanical reliability of power modules by preventing corrosion, allowing them to operate reliably in corrosive environments with minimal additional effort and material.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomeric-type sealing (108) applied between a module (100) and a mounting base (152) for providing a protection against corrosive atmospheric gases
Data Source
AI summary
A module includes an electronic component, an enclosure at least partially enclosing the electronic component and defining a module interface at which the module is configured to be mounted on a mounting base, and a gas flow-inhibiting sealing at the module interface and configured to inhibit gas from propagating from an exterior of the module towards the electronic component. An electronic device that includes the module and a method of manufacturing the module are also described.